HG S2 (Intel Bot)

NATO last month, to absolutely no fanfare, published a revision to the Alliance Maritime Strategy. Don’t feel bad if you’re finding out about it first here—you’re not alone. You can search NATO’s website, but you can’t find it—at least I couldn’t. Head over to my friends at NATO’s Maritime Command in Northwood, nothing there either. If it weren’t for the friendly hippies at Human Rights at Sea, we wouldn’t have the copy you can download here. I’m not sure who is responsible for action in para 2, but Shipmate…it’s been a month. This is a solid, compact briefing document that we should be handing out like pamphlets at the church door on Sunday. Someone needs a closed door counseling session over this. Bad enough that—as any NATO staff officer will tell you—the decision was made to publish this in the middle of summer. Absolutely nothing gets done in NATO from July 1 to September 15th, and again from December 15 through January 15th. Perhaps that is why, but come on…no excuses. Enough of that, let’s move on. This is a revision to a standing document, so there is some overlap. The previous Maritime Strategy, even more compact, was—and I am not kidding here—promulgated 11 MAR 2011, well over 14 years ago. The world has changed a bit? Maybe. Anyway, I asked AI (specifically Grok) how much of the 2025 revision was copy-n-paste from 2011. I’m not being snarky, it is just that I used to do things like this for NATO, I know how this goes, and it’s OK. A significant portion of the 2025 Alliance Maritime Strategy—approximately 30-40% based on a comparative analysis of structure, phrasing, and content—appears to be roughly lifted from the 2011 version, with minor modifications for modernization, rephrasing, or integration of contemporary elements like emerging disruptive technologies (EDTs), multi-domain operations, and updated policy references. This is most evident in the sections detailing the contributions to core tasks (deterrence and defence, crisis prevention and management, cooperative security), which closely mirror the 2011 strategy's articulation of roles (deterrence and collective defence, crisis management, cooperative security, maritime security). For example: The "Cooperative Security" section in the 2025 document (paragraphs 21-23) is nearly verbatim from the 2011's "Cooperative Security: Outreach through Partnerships, Dialogue and Cooperation" (paragraphs 13-14), with small tweaks such as removing "prevent conflicts and" or changing "what nations conduct themselves and have the added value" to "the actions Allies conduct themselves, while adding the value." The "Crisis Prevention and Management" section (paragraphs 19-20) heavily draws from the 2011's "Crisis Management" (paragraphs 11-12), including similar lists of operations (e.g., demonstrations of force, maritime interdiction, counter-terrorism, non-combatant evacuation) and descriptions of maritime force capabilities (e.g., "maintain credible, rapid response maritime forces able to operate in littoral environments often with degraded conditions" vs. "continuing to maintain modern, credible, rapid response joint forces able to operate in environments with degraded communications"). The "Deterrence and Defence" section (paragraphs 15-18) includes several lifted or closely adapted phrases from the 2011's "Deterrence and Collective Defence" (paragraphs 9-10), such as emphasizing superior naval, amphibious, and strike forces for rapid and decisive effects, control of sea lines/lanes, force entry, projecting striking power from the sea, and sea-based missile defence contributions. The 2011's separate "Maritime Security" role (paragraph 15) seems integrated into the 2025's crisis and deterrence sections, with overlapping ideas like maritime interdiction, protection of freedom of navigation, countering terrorism/piracy, and safeguarding critical infrastructure/sea lines of communication. The "Implementing the Alliance Maritime Strategy" section (paragraphs 24-30) echoes the 2011's "Implementing the maritime strategy through continued alliance transformation" (paragraphs 17-18), starting with nearly identical opening phrasing ("To meet the challenges set out above...") and stressing the NATO Defence Planning Process for transforming capabilities, though expanded with 2025-specific focuses like warfighting readiness and industrial capacity. The "Conclusion" (paragraphs 31-33) shares conceptual parallels with the 2011's conclusion (paragraphs 19-20), including steering transformation via the Defence Planning Process and evolving capabilities, but is more concise and forward-looking without directly listing roles. In contrast, the 2025 strategy's "Introduction" (paragraphs 1-5), "The Strategic Environment" (paragraphs 6-13), and "Vision" (paragraph 14) are substantially revised and show little direct lifting. These sections incorporate updated geopolitical realities (e.g., explicit threats from Russia, terrorism, China, authoritarian alignments, climate change as a threat multiplier) absent from the 2011 document's more general descriptions of global interdependence, economic vulnerabilities, and transnational crimes.Overall, the 2025 version updates the 2011 framework to align with NATO's 2022 Strategic Concept and current priorities, but retains core operational language and structure, suggesting a deliberate evolution rather than a complete rewrite. AI is pretty good, but I have a few things I want to add to it. As regulars know, I like word counts as they tell stories. So, let’s compare 2025 to 2011. 2025Atlantic: 10 Russia: 9 Crisis: 8 Terrorism/ist: 7 Nuclear: 7 China: 3 Climate: 3 Humanitarian: 2 Mine: 1 Iran: 1 Korea: 1 Migration: 1 Arctic: 0 2011Atlantic: 3 Russia: 0 Crisis: 11 Terrorism/ist: 3 Nuclear: 2 China: 0 Climate: 1 Humanitarian: 2 Mine: 2 Iran: 0 Korea: 0 Migration: 0 Arctic: 0 Pacific: 0 India/Indian Ocean: 0 Americas: 0 You can see right off the bat that 2025 is a much more serious document. Russia, China, Atlantic, and nuclear are all break outs. Sadly, "climate” also is a soft-breakout we’ll quote later for general mockery because …. WHERE IS ARCTIC!?!?!?! “High North” does get one mention, but that is about it. Let’s get some pull-quotes from the 2025 revision. Read the 2011 if you’d like, but it’s not required. From the introduction: Strong and direct. Not bad for a NATO document and a firm departure from the 2011 edition. Excellent description of sea power. As a matter of fact, I think everyone should use this as an elevator-speech benchmark, if not steal verbatim. Not a fan of the “360-degree approach” that keeps popping up. NATO really does not have such a thing. Sure, it says it does, but does it, really? What about the areas to the west of the North American members of the alliance, into the Pacific? I don’t see that posture in the 270° direction from Brussels as we see in the 090° into the Eurasian landmass. I remain firmly to the proposition that this 360-degree approach is simply a self-contradictory cope to distract from what is the clear purpose of NATO, to counter the Russian Federation’s threat to Central and Western Europe. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see a Standing NATO Maritime Group 3 created to roam the northern Pacific, but we don’t live in the Salamander-modified alliance, so we will simply have to accept that all other missions that are not directed contra-Russia are secondary missions and, at best, the Pacific is tertiary. Again, for NATO this is solid. I bet more than a few of you are wondering where the mention is of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) who in the last 14 years have emerged as a malign influence on alliance security…but wait. She’ll show up. Concise. To the point. Well done. (NB: if you want to hear more about Russia, make sure and listen to the latest Midrats Podcast with Dmitry Gorenburg from last Sunday). It is important to remember that when the 2011 document was written, the war in Afghanistan still had tens of thousands of non-USA NATO forces in place. In Europe, terrorism is much more common than in North America (for now). I’m glad this remains a top-tier concern in this document. Well, look who makes an appearance. Less strange than the “0” of Russia in the 2011 document, it is amazing how much the PRC threat has emerged in the international mind since then. Especially in Europe, in 2011, the China Doves, now almost an extinct species especially in North America, were still the driving force in areas controlled by The Smartest People in the Room™. Welcome to the party, folks. NATO is the sword and shield of The Enlightenment. We should look at it as such. There is a clash of civilizations going on. Acknowledge and embrace it. Imperfections and all, would you want the future defined by the ideals of Europe and North America, or by China or Muscovy with their allies? It’s easy to forget that Europe’s neo-pagan Green parties still have the impact they do. With governmental bureaucracies riddled with them and their fellow travelers, this isn’t unexpected. It is also, with the mention of the “High North”, the closest we got to having the Arctic mentioned…we’ll call it a draw. “By increasing maritime…mass…” translates to, “We all need larger navies.” For an alliance that has an ocean in its name, this should be a given, but when you look at the threadbare navies in the alliance, I guess we do need to push the point. To finish things up, I want to pull paras 17 and 23, as they are something everyone should feel comfortable stealing and reusing. Solid staff work here. There is a lot more there. It isn’t a long document, and really doesn’t have to be. I’d just like to leave this pebble in everyone’s shoe to close. Look at what was left out of the 2011 document that is front and center in the 2025 revision. 14 years from now is 2039. It will be here sooner than you think. What challenge will be facing the alliance in 2039 that isn’t front and center in 2025? I have an idea…look south. h/t Dr. Bruns.This Substack is reader-supported. 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Raytheon, an RTX business, and the U.S. Navy have successfully conducted the first live maritime test of the AN/SPY-6(V)4 radar. The test took place at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Barking Sands, Hawaii, where the Advanced Radar Detection Laboratory hosted multiple trials over open water. During the events, the radar tracked air and surface […] The post U.S. Navy conducts first maritime test of SPY-6(V)4 radar first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

BAE Systems has announced the delivery of its 1,000th infrared seeker for the U.S. Army’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) program. The delivery was made to Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for THAAD, for integration onto the interceptor missile. The seeker provides advanced sensing and guidance that allows the missile to detect, track, and […] The post BAE Systems delivers 1,000th THAAD seeker first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Boston-based Blue Water Autonomy has announced the close of a $50 million Series A funding round led by GV, with participation from Eclipse, Riot, and Impatient Ventures. The investment brings the company’s total raised to $64 million since April 2025, when it completed a $14 million seed round. The company said the funding will allow […] The post Boston startup secures $50M for U.S. Navy’s autonomous warship first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) has commenced production of the Finnish Navy’s third multi-purpose corvette under the Squadron 2020 program. The milestone was marked on August 26 with a traditional steel cutting ceremony at the Rauma shipyard. With this step, three of the four Pohjanmaa-class corvettes are now in production. RMC said the progress demonstrates both […] The post RMC starts building third multi-role corvette first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China is developing a new generation of armored vehicle technology that uses augmented reality (AR) headsets to enhance crew awareness and combat performance. The systems, linked to external cameras and sensors mounted on tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, provide crews with a real-time, 360-degree view of the battlefield. According to reports, the AR headsets project […] The post China develops AR headsets for tank crews first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

China is preparing to unveil three new high-power microwave weapon systems during its upcoming military parade in Beijing on September 3, 2025. The huge truck-mounted platforms, designed to counter drones with directed energy, were observed during recent parade rehearsals and are expected to draw international attention when they roll across Tiananmen Square. According to open-source […] The post China to unveil microwave guns at parade first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Finland-based arms manufacturer SAKO has announced the launch of its new Arctic Rifle Generation (ARG), a family of military rifles developed in close cooperation with the Finnish and Swedish Defense Forces. The company says the system is designed to replace aging assault rifles with a modular, next-generation platform tailored for Arctic warfare and tested to […] The post Finnish gun-maker debuts ARG next-gen rifle system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Germany’s Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) is set to debut a new armored vehicle concept at the DSEI defense exhibition in London. The new combat vehicle, named Condor, combines the role of a fire support tank with that of an anti-aircraft gun tank, offering a dual-purpose platform built on the proven Leopard 1 chassis. According to […] The post German firm develops Condor hybrid air defense tank first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The US Navy is deploying to the Caribbean? Been there, done that, came back disappointed. We’ve been doing these deployments since before we were even a nation, so pardon me if this didn’t raise too much of an eyebrow. On the 20th, The United States has ordered an amphibious squadron to the southern Caribbean as part of President Donald Trump's effort to address threats from Latin American drug cartels, two sources briefed on the deployment said on Wednesday. The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the USS San Antonio, USS Iowa Jima and USS Fort Lauderdale could arrive off the coast of Venezuela as early as Sunday. The ships are carrying 4,500 service members, including 2,200 Marines, the sources said. At the end of last week, I saw a few breathless comments about this, but considered it just background noise. Since he took office seven months ago, sending the Navy to go after drug cartels has been a thing, so … shrug. What would one do with 2,200 Marines in the Caribbean besides beef-up a shore patrol? IDK. It isn’t like this is related to Tren de Aragua or anything…and again, we’ve been chasing drug runners in the Caribbean for decades. I spent a year of my life mowing that ocean in the 1990s. Then this showed up in my feed about the same time, The United States is deploying three Aegis guided-missile destroyers to the waters off Venezuela as part of President Donald Trump's effort to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels, according to a U.S. official briefed on the planning. The USS Gravely, the USS Jason Dunham and the USS Sampson are expected to arrive soon… A half-dozen ships? OK, now you have my attention. Oh, and we have a LCS and a SSN in the area too? Well, then Saturday came around. Who had Trinidad and Tobago on their Bingo Card? If you wonder how Guyana got wedged in on the topic, review the Guyana–Venezuela crisis (2023–2024). It was fun and all, but everyone is quite glad that is over…we think. Yes, let’s go to the chart room. Easy to see why T&T are concerned. The light green is what everyone is making a fuss over. …since the mid 1800s. Can everyone just chill? The international arena only has so much bandwidth…but…even China has to make a comment. Venezuela has a population of over 30 million. It is one-third again larger than Texas. A few thousand US Marines can do a lot, but they are not doing that. Show the flag, make a point, go home. That is where the smart bet is, and that’s what I’ll hope for. Then again, the socialist autocrats in Venezuela could do something stupid. Bleh. Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

One of Russia’s largest drone manufacturers, AO Kronstadt, is on the verge of bankruptcy after months of financial turmoil and mounting lawsuits, Russian media reported. According to CNews, the company has faced dozens of debt claims in recent months, with more than 600 million rubles ($7 million) sought since the beginning of summer. The largest […] The post Russia’s leading drone maker nears collapse first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The U.S. Navy has opened a new facility at San Nicolas Island that doubles its capacity to launch supersonic targets for training and weapons testing on the Point Mugu Sea Range. Leaders from the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), joined by counterparts from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division, Naval Facilities […] The post U.S. Navy enhances supersonic defense prep first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has undergone two decades of transformation, trading sheer numbers for advanced technology and shifting its force structure to confront new security challenges. A study from the National Defense University revisits earlier forecasts about the “right size” of China’s air force and evaluates how modernization since 2007 has reshaped […] The post China builds smaller but more capable air force first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Senior U.S. Army sustainment leaders visited the Powidz Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 (APS-2) site in Poland on August 18 to review logistics capabilities and strengthen cooperation with Polish partners. According to the Army, top leaders from the 3rd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade and the 1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade conducted a site tour and held discussions […] The post U.S. Army reviews prepositioned stocks in Poland first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

India has conducted the first flight-tests of its new Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS), the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announced. The trial took place on August 23 off the coast of Odisha, with the system engaging multiple targets simultaneously. According to a release from the Press Information Bureau, the IADWS combines several […] The post India tests multi-layered air defense system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukraine has publicly revealed a new long-range version of its domestically developed cruise missile, known unofficially as the “Long Neptune.” The missile, with a reported range of 1,000 kilometers, was shown for the first time, Defense Express reported. No official specifications have been released, but earlier statements indicated the missile is designed to strike land-based […] The post Ukraine unveils new long-range cruise missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

This summer, the fourth summer of the Russo-Ukrainian War that started in the winter of 2022, we find the first serious and determined effort towards a genuine negotiation to end this grinding war in Eastern Europe. The experiences and lessons of this war aren’t only changing how nations throughout the world prepare for their next war, it has forced even greater changes on both combatants how they fight now and plan structuring their national defense post-war. Returning to Midrats again to discuss this and related issues this Sunday at 5 pm Eastern will be Dr. Dmitry Gorenburg, a Senior Research Scientist in the Strategy, Policy, Plans, and Programs division of CNA, where he has worked since 2000. You can listen live and join the show chat at this link. Dr. Gorenburg is an associate at the Harvard University Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and previously served as Executive Director of the American Association of the Advancement of Slavic Studies (AAASS). His research interests include security issues in the former Soviet Union, Russian military reform, Russian foreign policy, and ethnic politics and identity. Dr. Gorenburg is author of Nationalism for the Masses: Minority Ethnic Mobilization in the Russian Federation (Cambridge University Press, 2003), and has been published in journals such as World Politics and Post-Soviet Affairs. He currently serves as editor of Problems of Post-Communism and was also editor of Russian Politics and Law from 2009 to 2016. Dr. Gorenburg received a B.A. in international relations from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University. If you are reading this after the show, refresh the Substack page Sunday night when I update with the show notes and link to the podcast. Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

A trailer linked to the U.S. Army’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system caught fire during transport on 15 August, sending seven soldiers to the hospital for evaluation. According to Fort Bliss, the incident occurred at about 1:20 p.m. on U.S. Highway 54 near mile marker 10. A military convoy belonging to the […] The post THAAD missile system catches fire in Texas first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Beijing has begun fielding a new air defense system designed to counter mass drone attacks, as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) adopts measures against the growing threat of low-cost, expendable unmanned aircraft. The FK-3000, first showcased at the 2022 Zhuhai Air Show, was seen during rehearsals for an upcoming military parade. According to Chinese sources, […] The post China fields new FK-3000 anti-drone system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Rumors surrounding China’s next-generation missile defense system have materialized into reality. During rehearsals for an upcoming military parade in Beijing, launch vehicles carrying the newly designated HQ-29 were observed for the first time. Until now, the HQ-29 existed only in speculation, fueled by scattered photographs and analysis on Chinese social media. A week ago, images […] The post China debuts HQ-29 “Satellite Hunter” system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A new version of China’s DF-26 ballistic missile system has been spotted during rehearsals for an upcoming military parade in Beijing. The DF-26, officially known as Dong Feng-26 and designated by NATO as CH-SS-18, is an intermediate-range ballistic missile operated by the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force. It is produced by the China Aerospace Science […] The post China develops new version of “Guam Killer” missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukrainian forces have introduced a new naval drone designed for operations on the Dnipro River, according to a report from the defense news outlet Militarnyi. The system, named Barracuda, was developed by the special unit “Barracuda,” which operates under the 40th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade, part of the 30th Marine Corps. The report said the […] The post Ukraine’s Marines develop new naval drone for littoral warfare first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

A Swedish-Estonian shipbuilder has unveiled a new modular rigid inflatable boat (RIB) designed to give defense and security operators the ability to reconfigure missions in minutes. XW Production, a startup operating across Sweden and Estonia, announced the launch of its XW Modular 750, an aluminum RIB platform tested by professional divers, border guards, and naval […] The post Swedish-Estonian team unveils modular combat craft first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

German-based ARX Robotics has introduced its first combat-capable unmanned ground vehicle, developed with Ukrainian partners and designed to increase soldier survivability on the modern battlefield. According to a press release from ARX, the new system, called Combat Gereon, is built around the company’s “Unmanned First Contact” concept. The approach places unmanned platforms at the front […] The post ARX and Valhalla develop armed ground drone for Ukraine first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Footage broadcast on Chinese state television has revealed new training exercises featuring unmanned ground vehicles armed with rocket launchers. According to observer of Chinese military developments Jesus Roman, the exercises involved an armored infantry squad from the 83rd Group Army, part of the Central Theater Command. The unit conducted semi-urban assault drills using Type 08 […] The post China tests new ground drones with rocket launchers first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article